Merle's New Beginning
by Ferdy 63
Summary: Merle survives after killing the governor. He sets off on his own and ends up in a situation that no one would have ever expected. Takes place around middle of season 3. AU. Rated M for Dixon language. Eventual Caryl and Richonne included as well as the rest of the prison gang.
1. Chapter 1

Merle lit out after he led the walker parade to the Governor's men. It was a risky move but he'd finally taken out that sumbitch Governor. Just from watching the little army fall apart after the head shot took him down, Merle knew that Daryl and the folks at the prison wouldn't have to worry about Woodbury any longer. His little brother was safe, at least for now.

He thought about going back, like Michonne said, trying to live with the group, be a civilized man. Hell, it was funny to even think about himself trying to be civilized. Merle Dixon is, was and always will be a loner, needing nobody and nothin'. So, he set off on the road again with no real destination in mind. Maybe he'd heard toward the coast, find a boat and live on the water for a while.

He'd been walking for two days when an afternoon thunderstorm sprang up. It had been gray and muggy all day and when the clouds started gathering he could feel the drop in air pressure especially in the stump where his hand used to be. He ran about half a mile before coming across a little country store where he could take shelter.

The hail started failing just seconds after he made it inside. "Hell and damnation, I hope this ain't gon be a twister," he cursed to himself. He shook himself like a dog trying to shake some of the water off his hair and clothes before taking a look around.

The shelves were mostly cleaned off but he figured there might be a few hidden gems lying around. He was stuck here for a while anyway, might as well do something useful. He started at the front of the store, finding little but empty boxes and useless stuff. Why would anyone ever need pore cleaning strips anyway, much less after the dead started walking?

He did find a travel size box of Goody's headache powders which he pocketed and a lighter that still worked. The back of the store was mostly drink coolers which were unfortunately empty. He sure could have gone for a beer, even a hot one. There was also a door leading presumably into the back storage area.

Merle tried the door handle and pushed but the door didn't budge. "Well, now, ain't that innerestin'?" he said to himself. People only locked doors when there was something valuable inside. Maybe he'd found himself a treasure.

It took a few minutes working at the lock with his new sharp pointy "hand" to get the door open. Even with the lock undone, the door didn't open easily. It felt like it had been barricaded with something heavy. He pushed it enough to see that stacks of large dog food bags were pushed against the other side. He could also see a stack of canned goods and bottled water against the back wall. "Now, that's what I'm talkin' bout," he chuckled as he threw his full weight against the door knocking the makeshift barricade askew and giving him enough room to crawl through the crack in the door.

The back room was small and dark. Plywood had been nailed over the one small window. It was also hot and smelled to high heaven. Merle looked around. This wasn't an abandoned stash of food. Someone was in here with him.

The only possible hiding place was behind a small desk in the far corner. He faced it and spoke, "Come on out now whoever is over there. I got a gun and I'll use it if need be."

There was no response so he moved a few steps closer. "If you're hiding back there, come out now. I ain't planning on hurtin' nobody," he said. Suddenly there was movement. A person stood up holding a knife extended and pointed toward Merle.

"Don't come any closer. I'll kill you. Do you hear me?"

It was a woman judging by the voice but otherwise he couldn't tell. She was wearing filthy men's pants and a long sleeve shirt that was about four sizes too big. She was covered in dirt and what looked like dried blood. Her hair was fairly short but so lank and greasy that it lay flat against her skull like it was painted on.

Merle lowered his gun. "Hey, hey, I just stopped here to get out the rain. Don't mean no harm. Let's just put the weapons down okay? Nobody's gotta get hurt here," he told her.

"I'll put my weapon down when you put yours down," she told him. He realized she was looking at his prosthetic .

"Okay, just give me a minute," he said as he unbuckled the knife from his arm and laid it aside.

"That's fucked up, man," she told him pointing to the knife hand as she lowered her blade.

"Yeah, it comes in handy though. Handy, get it?" he told her with a chuckle. She didn't even crack a smile. She was scared. He could see it in her eyes. She'd been through some shit for sure and she was afraid he was here to cause her more problems. He kept his distance and sat down on a few stacked bags of dog food.

"Mind if I help myself to a bottle of your water?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Go ahead."

"Thank you kindly," he told her as he cracked a bottle open and downed half of it in one swallow.

"Name's Merle Dixon," he told her as he continued sipping on the water.

"Marty Salter," she told him.

"So, Marty Salter, what brings you to this fine establishment?" he asked. "I told you that I ducked in here to get out the storm but looks like you've been here for a bit."

She looked at him warily. "Why do you care?"

"Just makin' conversation," he answered. "Don't gotta get worried about it."

She hadn't moved except to lower her blade since she'd first stood up. "Ain't you getting tired of holding up that wall?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," she told him.

"Fine. Look, since you ain't exactly the friendly type, I'm just gon lay down over here and take a snooze till this rain lets up and then I'll be on my way, okay?" he told her as he laid back across the pallet behind him.

She didn't respond and he didn't care. He had been trying to sleep in trees for two nights running so needed some shut eye.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometime later he awoke with a start. The rain had stopped but the air was thick with humidity especially in the small enclosed space in the back of the store. He sat up expecting the woman to still be standing across the room eyeing him but she wasn't. He stood up and called out, "Hey, you still here?"

"Just get the fuck out of here," he heard faintly from the other side of the desk. "You had your snooze. Now go." She sounded short of breath and like she was in pain. He stepped closer.

"I'm just gonna check on you. Do you need any help?" he asked.

"I don't need shit from you. Just leave me be," she yelled followed by a small grunt of pain.

He walked up to the desk and saw her lying on the floor. She had the knife in her hand again and had it pointed in his direction. "Stay away from me, motherfucker, or I swear to God, I'll cut off the other hand," she cursed as she held her other arm clenched tightly around her mid section.

"You look like you need some help. I don't know what's goin' on here and it ain't my business but as you can see I've had my share of trouble. It ain't easy makin' it on your own. I know. If I can do somethin' to help before I go, you best tell me," he told her bluntly.

She relaxed the arm holding the knife a bit and tried to sit up but only managed to make it half way before grunting painfully and falling back. "I think I've got a busted rib or two," she finally admitted. "I don't think there's anything you can do to help that."

He remembered the Goody's powders he found, pulled the pack out of his pocket and handed it to her. "That ain't morphine but it may help some and I can try to wrap your ribs for ya, if you want," he offered.

She took the packet and opened one before quickly downing it. He handed her a bottle of water to wash it down. "You a medic or something?" she asked.

"No, m'am. Not me. I just had a broke rib a time or two in my life. Always did like to fight too much. Doc just wrapped me up real tight and told me to go home and sleep it off. Course in them days, I usually got some good narcotics as well," Merle offered.

She was relaxing around him but still hanging onto that knife.

"What happened? How'd you break a rib?" he asked.

"None of your goddamn business, that's how," she spat back at him.

He threw his arms up. "Hey, if you don't want my help, I can just hit the road. Don't need to put up with this shitty attitude when I'm trying to be neighborly," he snapped back.

"Fine, then hit the road, buddy," she told him with a wince as she grabbed at her ribs again.

Merle turned and started to walk away. He was heading for the door. Then he remembered the day after he'd cut his hand off, how weak and sick he'd been. He would have been acting just like her if help had shown up but he would have been glad for it just the same. He turned back around.

"Alright, we've established that you don't NEED my help but I'm gonna wrap those ribs for ya before I go. Just stay put while I find something to use," he told her.

She opened her mouth as if she were about to speak but then changed her mind and simply nodded once. He figured she must be in a lot of pain to give in without more of a fight.

"There was a coupla houses down the road. I should be able to find somethin' there to use as wrapping. I'll be back quick as I find anything. I'll look for some pain meds and more supplies too," he said as he headed back out.

It was late afternoon by this time. The storms had blown over as afternoon summer storms in Georgia mostly always do. The air had a fresh clean smell. He had a few more hours of light left so he knew he'd have to hurry. The houses he remembered were about a half mile away.

Two dusty little crackerbox shacks stood side by side next to the section of highway. The yards were bare dirt with an old clunker truck sitting parked right in the middle. He took out a couple of walkers on the way so figured he should approach these with caution.

At the first house, the door was unlocked. He pushed it open carefully. The smell inside was unmistakable, walker. He rapped on the doorframe a couple of times to draw any of them out. An old woman walker in a floral muumuu darted out of the tiny bedroom to the right. He plunged his knife through an eye socket and put her down.

There was only the living room where he now stood, the bedroom and bathroom and then a kitchen on the back. He checked the bedroom first. There will all sorts of pill bottles lined up on the bedside table. He checked the labels and found one bottle with Flexeril and another with Vicodin. God bless old folks with insurance. They always got the good stuff. He pocketed both bottles of pills to take back to the girl.

The bathroom medicine cabinet contained ibuprofen and a big tube of BenGay. He figured it couldn't hurt so he took that too. There was nothing that would work for wrapping her ribs though. The kitchen had already been ransacked. There was nothing left except spoiled stuff in the refrigerator.

Next door he found to be locked up. Another jimmy with his knife got it open pretty quickly. There was no smell this time but he knocked loudly just in case. No undead came running. The floor plan was identical to its neighbor. He checked the bedroom first again and then the bathroom. There was stuff like bandaids, alcohol and toothpaste but not what he needed. He noticed, however, that there were women's clothes in the closet so he figured he'd grab some clean things to carry back. He opened a drawer looking for jeans and t-shirts and found an ace bandage rolled up in the corner. That would work perfectly. He also grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt that looked about the right size.

The kitchen still contained a few canned items so he threw those in the bag. Sitting in the middle of the table was one of the big round dispensers of baby wipes. He took that figuring Marty might want to clean up a little. His search concluded, he headed back to the country store.

Marty hadn't moved much. She still had her knife ready though. Merle carried the bag over and dumped it at her feet. Then he pulled the two pill bottles out of his pocket. "Got some good drugs if you're innerested," he told her as he tossed them to her.

She caught the bottles and turned them so she could read the labels. "God, yes," she whispered as she opened the Vicodin bottle and took one. She noticed the container of wet wipes as well and the clean clothes. "You trying to tell me something with these?" she asked.

"Just thought you might be more comfortable. That's all. I can go back outside while you get cleaned up if you want," he told her. She nodded. "Need some help getting' up?" he asked. She extended a hand and he reached to take it. As he pulled her to her feet, the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing slipped back enough to show bloody marks around her wrist where she had been chained or handcuffed. Without batting an eye, he continued helping her up and then turned and walked to the front of the store.

He stood there looking out the grimy window at the gathering darkness wondering what that woman had been through and how she'd ended up here. No wonder she was surly and aggressive. She had reason to be.

About 30 minutes later, he heard her calling, "Hey, Merle Dixon." She sounded like the Vicodin was taking effect.

He walked back to the back. She looked better, no doubt about that, but she still needed a shower. It looked like she'd used the whole container of baby wipes. The filthy discards lay piled beside her. Her face was clean and she'd changed clothes.

"Well, there was a person under all that dirt, huh?" he asked with a laugh.

"Don't get cute. We're not friends. You're doing me a favor for which I'll pay you with some of these supplies. That's it," she responded.

"Just trying to break the ice, that's all," he said. "So, how you wanna do this? You gonna turn around so I can wrap those ribs?"

"Okay, but don't try anything. I still got the knife," she told him as she turned toward the wall. He picked up the ace bandage and told her to lift her shirt. She pulled it halfway up her back revealing a map of scars, welts and bruises. It was worse than anything he'd ever seen his old man dish out.

"Shit," he whispered without meaning to.

"No comments ," she told him. "I know it's ugly. Just fuckin' wrap the thing."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he replied as he got to work.

Once the bandage was in place, she quickly dropped her shirt and stepped away from him.

"You know, you're pretty banged up. It wouldn't hurt for you to take two of those Vicodin," he offered.

"No. Gotta keep my wits. Can't afford to fall asleep," she told him.

"Look I'll stay here, keep watch until you wake up,okay?" he asked. "You need some rest."

"Who the hell died and made you my fairy godmother?" she asked sarcastically.

Merle couldn't help but grin. "Damn, girl, didn you see my wings?" he teased.

She opened the bottle and popped another pill. Within twenty minutes she was getting woozy. As she started to nod, he figured he'd try to find out what happened to her.

"Marty, how'd you get all those bruises and stuff?" he asked.

She stared at him through slitted eyes. "For me to know and you to find out," she slurred.

"Did somebody hurt you?" he continued.

She shook her head as though trying to dispel a bad dream but she spoke, "Jones. It was Jones, locked me up, beat me. I got away though. I got away."

"Yeah, you're safe ," he told her as she finally drifted off to sleep.

It was fully dark outside now. Merle used his lighter to light a candle on the desk and fix himself something to eat. As he sat there, he watched her. She was sleeping peacefully. She was one damn tough chick to have survived what she'd been through and still be putting up a fight. "Hell she could pass for a Dixon," he thought to himself as he finished his can of stew.

Merle stayed awake during the night as he'd promised. The whole place was quiet as a tomb except for Marty's soft snores from time to time. She also did some talking in her sleep which revealed how afraid she really was of the Jones character who held her captive. It made Merle see red just thinking about it.

Watching his old man beat on any woman stupid enough to hang around had given Merle a very low tolerance to violence against women. From the looks of it, Marty had not only been beaten but tortured and shackled.

He heard her stirring just before sun up. She managed to sit up by herself before glancing his way.

"You still here?" she asked.

"Told you I'd stay and keep watch," he replied.

"Well, ain't you just the boy scout?" she answered sarcastically.

"Guess you ain't exactly a mornin' person, huh?" he offered with a chuckle. "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, some, I guess. Still hurts like a mother, though," she told him.

"Well, at least you still got some vics left. You feel up to talking a walk? I can show you where those houses are and you could take a shower if you want," he told her. "I'm headin' out that way anyway I guess."

Marty looked at him skeptically. "Yeah, I guess I could make it," she told him.

He threw her a granola bar which she tucked in a pocket as she pushed herself up by leaning against the wall for support. "You gon need any help getting movin'?" he asked.

"I got it," she tersely replied.

He stood up and grabbed his gear and headed toward the door, making sure to go a little slower than normal so that Marty could keep up. The area outside the store looked clear. There were no walkers in sight. He moved on outside and waited for her to follow.

It was the first time he'd seen her moving around. It was painful to watch. Not only was she holding her ribs but she was limping pretty badly as well. He wasn't sure she'd make it. "You, uh, sure you're up for this?" he asked.

"Said I was," she told him through clenched teeth. At the pace she was setting he figured they'd make it the half mile to the houses in a couple of hours. It wasn't safe to let her take that much time. He'd spotted a hand truck in the back of the store so he told her to hold up while he went back for it.

He was feeling kind of proud of himself for thinking of it but when she saw him wheeling it out, she rolled her eyes. "Come on," he told her. "I can wheel you there and back in a jif. It's a damned sight better than this slogging along you're doing. "

She stood with her hands on her hips scowling at him.

"Just get the fuck on the thing, woman," he told her. "I'm gettin' damn tired of arguing with you over every little thing." She didn't like it but she stepped on and leaned back as he tilted it so he could push her down the road. He thought about trying to make conversation but figured she'd just shut him down again so he pushed her the half mile without a word.

They went into the second house where he'd found the first aid supplies. The water was still running but only cold of course. Still she didn't complain. He left her alone to wash up while he waited in the front room where he eventually dozed off on the couch.

He woke up to her crouched beside the couch and shaking him. He started to react but she put a hand over his mouth quickly while holding her finger to her lips. He pulled her hand away. "What is it?" he whispered.

"It's him, Jones and his crew. They're lookin' for me. We gotta hide. He'll kill me for what I did and he'll kill you just on principle," she whispered back.

Merle crawled over to the window and peeked out. There were at least ten heavily armed men coming towards them from down the road. What in the hell had he gotten himself into?


	3. Chapter 3

"There's too many of 'em for me to take by myself and you ain't in no shape to help," Merle thought out loud.

"Merle, this ain't your fight. Just go. I can hide. That's what I've been doin'," she told him.

"Is that what kind of man you take me for? I ain't leavin' a defenseless woman without protection against those assholes, specially after seeing what they done to you," Merle angrily replied.

"Okay, so what's your plan, boy scout?" she asked.

"You're gon have to draw 'em in here. Get as many as you can inside the house but duck out the back before they get you. Run to that little barn back there and get behind somethin' heavy. Then just get down and stay down," he told her as he grabbed his pack and started rifling through it.

"And what are you gonna be doing while I'm the bait?" she asked.

He just grinned and held a hand grenade out in front of him. "This is what Ima be doin'."

"Shit, you are hardcore," she told him as he grabbed his rifle and headed out the back.

Merle went behind the house and crouched next to the back stoop. He heard Marty limping around in the house and heard the front door open. The men started yelling as soon as they spotted her and she followed Merle's instructions by getting through the house and out the back door as quickly as possible.

"Good girl," Merle whispered.

He heard several men enter the house and loud voices as they started searching for her. He only had one shot at this so he was praying it would work. He pulled the pin on the grenade and eased the back door open a crack. Then he rolled the grenade gently inside. As he'd hoped, they were too worked up to notice.

Just as he dove a few feet clear of the house, the grenade went off behind him. He took cover next to the little barn where Marty was hiding. He figured he could take out any survivors with the rifle. They should all be a little shell shocked from the concussion which would make things easier.

The windows on the back of the house were blown out and black smoke was billowing through the jagged shards of glass. As he sat watching, two bloodied and dazed men stumbled out the back door. Merle took them out with two quick shots. He sat and waited a few minutes figuring there'd be more but no others showed up. Marty stood up and started out of hiding but Merle motioned her back. He just had a feeling that he wasn't done with these assholes yet.

Sure enough after a few minutes he saw someone coming around the front corner of the house. Merle got off one shot but missed. He heard Marty gasp when the man started yelling to them.

"Marty. It's me, honey. You knew I couldn't just let you go," the man called out.

"It's him. It's Jones," she whispered to Merle.

"Come on out now, girl. I don't wanna have to kill your new friend but he ain't gon keep me from my woman," Jones told them.

Merle could see that just hearing this guy's voice was freaking Marty out. She was sitting on the ground shaking like a leaf. "It's alright," he whispered. "I got this." Merle had been a sniper in the Army when he wasn't in the brig so he knew he could take the guy if he'd just show his face again.

He yelled back, "Marty's with me now. She won't be goin' nowhere with you so why don't you just get."

He heard a short, deep snort of derision from the front of the house and then Jones yelled back, "You got a sack on you, son. I'll give you that. See, the thing is, that girl is carrying my child so I don't give a rat's ass what you think. She's mine and I'm takin' her back."

Merle looked at Marty who sat staring at him with tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Merle. I'm so sorry. Just go," she begged him.

"Alright," Merle called back. "You win. I didn't know the bitch was pregnant. I don't need that slowin' me down. I'm gonna leave. No hard feelins. Okay."

Jones laughed again, "Glad you talkin' sense now. I'll give you a few minutes to clear out then I'm coming back there to claim what's mine. If you try anything, I'll kill you. That's a promise."

Merle didn't dare risk glancing back at Marty. He backed slowly along the side of the barn until he reached the tree line and then he turned and ran. He stopped a few feet in and dropped to the ground before crawling into a position where he could get a clean shot.

A few minutes later a huge man came ambling around the side of the house. He moved carefully with his gun held ready in front of him. Merle lined up a shot but noticed that a second man was coming around the opposite corner. They had to make it difficult.

He took down Jones with the first shot but the second man took cover. Merle decided he'd try Jones' tactic. "Son," he yelled, "you seen how I just took out your boss. If you want to stay around here, the next bullet's for you. If you go now, I may let you live." After a couple of minutes, the guy stood up with his hands in the air and started walking backwards. When the guy was out of sight, Merle stood up and came out of hiding.

Marty met him behind the house. "I believed you, you shit. I thought you left," she told him.

"That was the whole idea, darlin' " he replied.

They checked the house and found eight dead guys and Merle knifed him through the brain to be sure they stayed that way. Jones already had a hole in his skull. The last guy was nowhere to be seen and with all the noise they'd made, he figured the guy might be a walker meal before the day was over especially since he'd left his weapon behind.

"We need to get back to the store and pack your supplies. You'll need somewhere new to hide out until you heal up just in case that last dude makes it back to their camp," Merle told her. "I'm gonna see if that truck out front has any gas. Maybe I can hot wire it so's we can get a head start anyway."

Marty followed him around the house and sat watching as he fiddled with the truck. "Merle, I gotta ask. Why are you doin' all this for me? It's not like you owe me anything," she asked him. At this point he had his head stuck under the dash board so she heard a muffled response.

"Let's just say I'm tryin' to make up for some past mistakes, leave it at that, okay?" he told her.

She didn't respond but just watched as he worked. He figured she was tuckered out from all that had just gone down. If he couldn't get this truck moving, he didn't know how he was gonna get them out of here. Luckily, there was about half a tank of gas left and he managed to hot wire it. She climbed into the passenger side as he slid behind the wheel.

As they drove down the road, he asked, "You really pregnant?"

She ducked her head before mumbling, "Yes."

"And it's his baby?" he continued.

"Yes," she answered ashamedly.

He wanted to ask more questions but she wasn't much of a talker. He just let it go. When they got back to the store, he packed up her small stash of food and water while she got her small bag of personal items. When it was all in the truck, they set off down the road. He didn't know where they were going, just that they had to find a safe place for Marty.


	4. Chapter 4

She certainly wasn't a talker, Merle thought to himself as he drove the deserted back country road. She'd been sitting for over an hour just staring out the passenger window. He tried a few smart ass remarks trying to rile her up to get her talking but she just rolled her eyes and looked away.

Suddenly he heard her say, "Wait. Back up. There's a road there, like a farm road." He stopped the car and backed up a ways. There was a road but just barely. It was a one lane dirt drive that had almost been overgrown by bushes and honeysuckle vines. There was no way of knowing what lay at the end of it except to try it. He turned and eased the truck through the brush. About 100 yards back off the road behind a field was a small farm house. It looked deserted. Merle drove up close to the front porch. He sat and waited a minute or so to see if anyone poked their head out.

"Wait here," he told Marty, "Gonna check it out." He stepped on the porch and followed his usual protocol, rap on the door a few times to draw out any biters and wait. Nothing came running. He stepped inside. The house was neat and orderly. Everything looked intact. He checked each room and found a door leading to an underground cellar. That's where he found the former residents.

A man and woman lay side by side with hands entwined. They both had gunshot wounds to the head and the man was still holding a pistol. A smaller bundle wrapped in a Winnie the Pooh blanket lay next to the woman. Blood had seeped through one end of the blanket. "Goddamn it," Merle whispered as he retched at the sight and smell before him. He quickly made his way back upstairs.

He checked out the back. There was a storage shed and a clothes line with tattered towels still hanging on it. There was also a small garden plot to one side which had gone wild but apparently some seeds from previous years had produced a couple of tomato plants and a cucumber vine. There were several ripe or nearly ripe tomatoes and a bunch of cucumbers. They'd eat good tonight. He checked out the storage shed just to be safe. Nothing was inside except an old garden tiller and various tools.

He walked back around to the front and told Marty that it was safe to come inside. She hobbled up the steps and walked in with a kind of reverent awe. He stood aside and watched as she walked from room to room. She stopped in the living room in front of a family portrait of the trio he'd found downstairs. It was something he hadn't even noticed. It was your typical WalMart family photo with the smiling couple and a tot of about four or five sitting on the mom's lap. Marty reached and gently touched the faces on the photo before turning to look at Merle.

"Are they here somewhere?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, all dead," he replied uncomfortably.

"Were they turned?" she asked, her eyes looking misty.

"No, no bites that I saw. Looks like they ended it themselves," he admitted.

She nodded and turned away before easing herself onto the sofa and propping her leg on the ottoman. It was the first time he'd really looked at her since back at the store. She had cleaned up in the shower before Jones showed up. Her dark brown hair was short and curled slightly at the ends. She had very fair skin with a few freckles sprinkled across her nose, and her eyes were a deep blue/gray color. She was a fine looking woman. If she wasn't so worn down and exhausted she'd probably be a real beauty. He could tell her ribs were hurting her again.

"Did you pack the rest of those Vicodin?" she asked.

"Yeah, they're in the truck," he replied, "but do you need to be taking that shit being pregnant and all?"

"I don't remember asking for your advice, boy scout," she told him. "My fuckin' ribs hurt. I'd like a pain pill or do I need to go get it myself."

"I'll get your pills. But before you take 'em think about that baby. However mad you are at that bastard Jones, however much you hate him, that baby didn't have nothin' to do with that. He or she is coming here, into this already fucked up world, as a clean slate. What you do from here on out is gonna make the difference in whether that kids turns out good or just like its Daddy," Merle told her.

"What the fuck do you know? You don't know what they did to me, my family. You think I wanted that bastard all over me every night. Do you know what that's like? Of course you don't. When he wasn't raping me, he was beatin' the shit out of me. How the hell can I be all maternal towards something that belongs to him?" she spewed viciously.

"That's the thing, though, it don't belong to him. Not anymore. It's yours now. I don't know what it was like for you, but I do know how it feels to be beat just for breathin'. That was my life for about fifteen fuckin' years. I ain't tryin' to tell you what to do. I just know that from the time I was born, my Daddy hated me, took every chance to make sure I knew it. I never did anything but try to please him until I couldn't take no more. If you're startin' that cycle with this baby before it's even born, it ain't gonna end well for either of ya," Merle advised.

Marty turned her face away from Merle. He could tell she was holding back sobs. "I'll go get those pills for ya," he mumbled.

"Wait," she said as she rolled her eyes, "Just bring the fuckin' Advil."

"Okay, Advil it is," he replied with a tiny grin. When he walked back in, she had gotten off the couch and he found her walking down the cellar stairs.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" he yelled.

She saw the trio at the bottom of the stairs before looking back up at him, her eyes huge with grief. She was shaking like a leaf. He walked down, put his arm around her and gently coaxed her back upstairs and onto the sofa. She lay down and buried her face in the cushion. He knew he was supposed to do something to comfort her but he had no idea what that should be, so he just walked back outside to get their things out of the truck.

He took his time unloading their few supplies and then made a lot of noise as he walked back on the porch. He hoped she'd finished her crying. He wasn't used to dealing with hysterical women and had no intention of starting now. She was sitting up on the couch. Her eyes were red rimmed but she had gotten herself under control.

"You, uh, you hungry or anything?" he asked awkwardly. She just shook her head but she did reach for the Advil bottle as he handed it to her.

"We have to bury them," she said after swallowing a couple of the pills with a sip from a water bottle.

"Yeah, I guess so," Merle agreed. "There's a shovel in the shed out back. I'll get started on diggin' some holes. You just stay up here and rest. I'll let you know when I'm done." Marty made no comment but merely nodded once before turning to look out the window.

Merle worked for hours digging three holes deep enough for the bodies. He found a plastic tarp in the shed as well and used it to wrap the bodies one at a time and carry them out to the graves he dug. Once they were all safely planted, he told Marty that he was done. She stood up and walked out onto the back porch.

He'd dug the graves behind the shed under a tall pine. "Figured that'd be as good a spot as any," Merle told her.

She nodded. "It's good. They're all together, the way they wanted to be." Tears were starting to form in her eyes again but she quickly wiped them away. She sat down on the back stoop. The light was beginning to fade and the air was cooling. He sat down on the opposite side of the steps leaving as much space as possible between them.

"I had a daughter," she said as she gazed off into the distance, "a husband and a daughter."

Merle looked at her. It hurt him to see how much pain she was in just talking about it. "I figured it was somethin' like that," he said.

"We lived outside Atlanta in a nice little house, a quiet neighborhood. It was like some damn perfect family tv show up until the world went to shit," she told him. "My husband packed up the car and we headed toward the refugee camp but the roads were too clogged. We ran out of gas and had to start walking. That's when we ran into Jones. He said he had a camp set up, survival supplies, said he was takin' people in. We were desperate. We believed him. We didn't have any other choice. He killed David, my husband, the first week, just knifed him through the chest and left him on the side of the road. He took me and my baby girl Lily to his camp. There were other women there and a few kids. He locked us up, started visiting me at night. When winter set in, we had almost no heat and never had enough to eat. Lily got sick. He wouldn't get medicine for her, said only the strong could survive, that it was the new world order, survival of the fittest. She died after about a week. I think it was pneumonia. After that, I didn't care what happened for a long time. I just existed. When I figured out I was pregnant, I decided I was leaving. I wasn't gonna watch another child suffer and die for that man. I made a shiv out of a piece of metal. When one of his men brought my food, I stuck into his temple, took the key, unshackled myself and left. They would have caught me but I slid down a steep hill into a ravine, tumbled a few times. That's how I broke my ribs. Anyway, that's my story, boy scout, what's yours?" she said as she turned to look at him.

"Me? I ain't got no story," he told her.

"Aw, come on now," she goaded, "Surely you've saved a few cats from trees or helped some old ladies cross the street?"

"Enough with the smartass shit," he replied. "I've had my share of trouble. That ain't too hard to see," he told her as he held his stump out.

"I don't reckon there's anybody left who can say that it's been a cake walk. I was with a group of folks for a while. The leader was a sick bastard. I killed him and lit out. I reckon we're alike in that respect."

She slumped her shoulders and shook her head sadly. "Humph! Ain't we a pair, boy scout? Ain't we just a pair?"

Merle stood up and reached out his good hand to help her to her feet. "Come on, woman. I'm hungry. Let's find some grub," he told her.

The two of them settled in at the little farm house over the next few weeks. They had enough supplies on hand to last a month or so, longer if Merle got a deer while out hunting. He figured that Marty needed to rest up and heal before they even talked about moving on.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next month, Marty's ribs healed as did the marks on her wrists. Her bruises faded. A steady diet helped her fill out. The dark circles under her eyes disappeared and her stomach began to show a tell-tale roundness. She made it through some nights without nightmares but at other times, her yelling would wake Merle who slept in the bedroom across the hall from her.

Things around the small farm remained fairly quiet. Merle took out the few walkers who wandered in every week. They'd been lucky that no herds had come by. He kept an eye out when he went hunting for any groups.

As they sat eating dinner in the small, homey kitchen one night, Marty asked when Merle was going to leave. He was uncomfortable to say the least.

"You askin' me to leave?" he replied.

"No, Mr. Boy Scout. I'm asking IF you're leaving?" she told him.

"Hell, woman, I don't know. I thought about it. I ain't exactly a homebody, ya know? It don't feel right just leavin' you here by yourself either, though," he admitted. "I ain't used to livin' with anybody, specially a woman, a pregnant woman. What do ya want me to say?"

"I want you to say what you mean to do. I don't care what you're used to. Don't confuse me with what you're used to. If that's a problem, do me a favor and go back to what you're used to. I never asked you for anything. I appreciate what you've done for me and my baby. I ain't begging you to stay. I just need to know so I can be prepared," she told him bluntly.

Damn her, Merle thought. She sure as hell wasn't gonna give him an inch. "Let's just play it by ear for now, okay?" he offered. "That's the best I can do for now."

"That probably worked with women back in the old days. It won't work for me now. I've got about 4 or 5 months until this baby arrives. If you're leavin', I need to know. I won't be able to go scouting for food or supplies when I'm 8 months pregnant. And I gotta find a safe place for me and the baby. This house is too open. So, you think on it and let me know within the next few days. You don't owe me nothin' Merle. You've done your duty and more. Whatever you decide, I won't hold no hard feelings," she explained.

As she stood and walked back to her room, Merle stood scratching his head. He had got himself into a damned conundrum. He couldn't leave a pregnant woman alone and defenseless but he for damn sure didn't want to be saddled with a woman and a baby. He could hear Daryl's voice in his head saying, "You gotta stay with her. She won't make it by herself." Then, there was the voice of his old man telling him what a pussy he was being for letting a woman hold him back.

"Well, shit," he finally said to himself before walking back towards Marty's room. She was laying on her bed reading with a lantern burning low. It made a pretty sight. Her skin kind of glowed and she had one hand resting on the soft mound of her belly.

"Hey, uh, I'll be staying around I guess," he told her, "at least until the little one gets here."

She smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Boy Scout. I was hopin' you'd say that."

"G'night, Marty," he told her as he turned to leave.

"Good night, Merle," she replied.

He smiled as he walked to his room. It felt pretty damned good to know that he'd made her happy. "You're turning into more of a pussy than Daryl," he thought to himself as he settled back on the bed.

Merle continued hunting and working to secure their 'home' over the next month. It was as quiet in this place as he'd ever seen. He kept expecting trouble but none had yet appeared. Marty's belly continued to grow.

She started craving peanut butter which wasn't easy to find. He found two jars at a little quick stop that he'd come across while out scouting one day. When he brought it to her, she actually kissed him on the cheek. It took him completely by surprise but she was too busy digging into the peanut butter to even register what she'd just done. He, on the other hand, couldn't forget it. He walked around for days remembering those soft lips against his skin. Sometimes he'd catch himself rubbing his cheek where she'd kissed him. He started looking for other little things to bring back to her when he was out.

One day, in a small shopping center he was scavenging, he walked past a baby store. In the window he saw a basket filled with all types of baby clothing and other items. He knew she'd like it. Even though it would be a bitch to carry back, he took it. When he gave it to her, she was at first speechless which in itself was a miracle. Then she got all teary. Finally, she reached up and hugged him.

"Thank you, boy scout," she whispered. Her hug lingered a moment and his arms automatically went around her waist in response. She pulled back enough so that they were almost nose to nose and just stared at him for a moment. He was about to go in for a kiss when she blushed and quickly pulled away.

"Um, yeah, thank you," she said before quickly turning and leaving the room.

He wasn't sure what to make of what happened. He liked Marty even with her smart mouth. He was comfortable around her and he wanted to take care of her, make her happy. It was something he'd never really felt before. She seemed to like him but now he wasn't so sure. Maybe she was just grateful to him for saving her.

The more he thought about it the more he beat himself up. "Why did I ever think a woman like her would be into an old redneck like me?" he thought to himself. He began to pull away from her more and more. Hell, if she didn't want him, he wasn't gonna go sniffing behind her like some whipped pup. He could tell it hurt her feelings when he gave her the silent treatment but he wasn't going to play boy scout anymore just because that's what she called him.

A couple of days passed. Merle woke up in a bad mood and left to go hunting without even saying goodbye to Marty. He spent the whole day tramping the woods. After catching a glimpse of a buck that he couldn't seem to catch up to, he decided to climb a tree to see if he could locate it. He was about ten feet up in a pine tree when he heard a crackling sound under his feet. Before he could react, the branch he was standing on broke and he took a tumble.

He wasn't knocked out but definitely dazed for a few minutes. He could feel blood running down his cheek and he had a long gash on his arm. "Damn it all," he yelled as he pushed himself up and started back toward the farm.

The light was fading by the time he cleared the woods and it was fully dark by the time he stepped onto the back porch. As soon as she heard his steps, Marty came crashing through the back door and fell into his arms.

"Oh, thank God, thank God. Merle I thought you'd left or a walker got you." She pulled back then to look at him. Even in the lantern light from the kitchen she could see the blood on his shirt. "You're hurt. You're not bit, though, are you? Please tell me you're not bit," she pleaded.

"I ain't bit woman. Quit carryin' on. I fell out of a tree, got a few scrapes. It ain't a big deal," he told her as he pushed past her and into the house.

She followed him. "Yeah, from all the blood on your shirt I can tell it's not a big deal. You need some stitches for that cut on your head ya know. It's not just a scrape," she scolded.

"I've survived a lot worse than this," he reminded her.

"That was before. You didn't have anyone to take care of you. Now you do and that's what I'm gonna do. Get that shirt off and wash up. I'll find some stuff to stitch you up. No arguments," she commanded.

Damn but she was a bossy little thing, he thought, but he didn't argue. Within a few minutes he had on a clean t-shirt and was sitting in a kitchen chair while she worked on stitching the cut over his eyebrow. He flinched a bit as she pushed the needle through the first time.

"Not gonna pass out on me are ya, boy scout?" she asked as she continued working.

"Not unless you got a hell of lot of whiskey I can drink while you do this," he answered.

She continued working quietly with her belly pressed lightly against his arm. Suddenly he felt a little thump against his bicep.

"Whoa," he said as he placed his hand on her belly, "That's quite a little kicker."

"Yeah, he's been running a marathon in there today," she told him with a smile. She finished her stitching and sat down across from him. "All done," she said.

"Thanks," he said as he started to get up.

"Wait," Marty softly asked. "I want to talk to you for a minute."

"Ain't much for talkin'," he replied but he stayed in his chair.

"I know. You can just listen," she told him. "Ever since the other day, you've been different. I miss talking to you and spending time with you. I know you wanted to kiss me."

"Look, you ain't got to worry about that happenin' again," he told her. "I get that you don't feel that way about me. That's fine."

"No, Merle, you don't get it. I, well I wanted to kiss you. It's just that I don't know if I'm ready to handle the way I feel about you, about us," she admitted.

Merle was suddenly all ears. "You mean, you, uh, you wanted me to kiss you. I don't think I …. Look I ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer, Marty but it sure as hell didn't seem like you wanted anything from me. If this is some kind of sympathy or gratitude thing, don't bother," he told her.

"Just shut up and listen. It's not gratitude or sympathy. You're one of the best men I've ever known. You're kind and thoughtful but you're also tough and brave. I feel closer to you than I've felt to anyone in a long time and not in a friendship way. I want us to be more than friends, Merle, but I've been through a lot of shit over the past few years. I may screw this up really bad. I don't know if it's fair to you to start something that I may not be able to handle," she confessed as she wiped away a stray tear.

Merle's heart was hammering in his chest. There was a warmth spreading through him. It was the greatest thing he'd ever experienced. He stood up and walked over next to her chair. He pulled her up and into his arms. With her head pillowed against his chest, he whispered, "If I'm one of the best men you've met, you've had a pretty shitty life. Hell, I'm the world's biggest screw up, darlin'. If anybody is gon mess this up, it'll be me. We both got a lot of shit to put behind us but I'm willin' to try if you are."

She pulled back and looked up at him before nodding. "I am and do you think we could try that kiss now?" she asked him.

Merle leaned toward her slowly until their lips met. At first, it was a sweet simple kiss but as she opened her mouth under his and their tongues began exploring, it became hot enough to start fires in other parts of his body. She could feel the growing hardness pressing into her and stepped back with her cheeks aflame.

"Merle, I..I need to take this a little slow, okay?" she asked shyly.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry bout that but it's been a while. Couldn't help it," he said with a chuckle.

"So, uh, are you hungry? God, bad choice of words. Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

Merle laughed out loud. "Yes to both questions but I'll just take some soup or somethin' instead," he told her kissed her on the forehead.


	6. Chapter 6

After the talk with Marty, Merle found himself humming as he worked. He felt really happy for the first time that he could remember. He had someone to care about who cared for him in return. It was an amazing feeling. They sat around the table at night and just talked and laughed. They sat in the swing on the back porch as the sun went down holding hands and occasionally smooching. He felt like some silly teenager but he liked it. If Daryl was around he'd be giving Merle hell for being so moony eyed but he didn't care.

She told him more about her family. He told her about his life, about Daryl and about Woodbury and the governor. He was honest about the things he'd done. "I was an asshole, Marty, a total fuckin' bastard. You wouldna' liked me very much back then. I'm ashamed of the things I done. Daryl made me see that there was a different way."

Marty listened quietly and held his hand as he poured out his heart. Then she did something he never expected. She kissed him.

" I don't know what you were before, Merle, but you're my boy scout. You'll always be my hero. Whoever you were before is someone I've never met. You're a good man now, the man I love," she told him.

"I love you too, darlin'," he replied as they sat watching the sun go down behind the pines.

Marty was about seven months along the first time she came to his bed. He'd never been with a pregnant woman and it presented some unique challenges but it was worth whatever it took. After they made love, he felt a completeness that he'd never known. She lay snuggled against him and he was starting to doze when he heard a small sob escape her.

"What's wrong darlin'?" he asked as he sat up abruptly. "Did I hurt ya? Are you alright?"

She pulled him back down against her. "I'm good, Merle, fine. I was just thinking," she told him as she rubbed her belly.

"Thinkin' about what?" he asked quietly.

"I just wish…oh, Merle, I wish more than anything that this baby was yours. You'd be the best daddy. I know it's silly," she told him before bursting into tears and burying her face against his chest.

He reached down and tilted her face up towards his own. "This baby IS mine. You're mine, aren't ya? So the baby must be mine, too. I'll be it's daddy. I won't know what the hell I'm doin' but I'll give it my best shot," he promised.

"You are unbelievable, Mr. Boy Scout," she told him. "How did I get so lucky?"

"I don't think anyone ever felt lucky cause of knowin' me," he told her laughing.

"Well, I am lucky to have you and I think you might just be about to get lucky yourself," she told him playfully before showing him exactly how happy he'd made her.

The next day Merle left Marty in bed and went out hunting. There'd been a storm the night before with some high winds. As he walked through the woods he noticed some trees down. One large tree had fallen across a road not too far from the farm. He had gone about several miles when he heard the moaning. He ducked under some brush and edged closer to the sound. It was a herd, a big one. Apparently, they'd wandered into the woods after getting cut off by the fallen tree. There must have been a hundred walkers shuffling around and they were headed straight towards the farm. He quickly scuttled back out of sight and high tailed it back to the farm.

Marty heard him running across the porch and jumped up to see what was happening. She only had a blanket wrapped around her.

"Get dressed and let's get some stuff together," he told her. "We gotta go."

"What's happening, Merle? What is it? Is it Jones' men?" she asked in a panic.

"No, it's walkers, a big herd. They're a few miles out but they're headed this way. We can't chance it. We need to leave as quick as we can, get a head start on 'em," he told her.

She did exactly as he said, throwing on clothes and putting supplies in bags. Merle packed the few things they needed into the pickup. She walked out and stood in the yard looking back at the house with tears in her eyes.

"Come on, woman, we gotta get," he yelled from the cab.

She walked over and crawled in beside him. "I just thought it would be our home, ya know? It felt like a home," she told him sadly.

He felt bad for yelling at her so he reached over and patted her hand. "I know, darlin', I know. Everything's gon be alright. Old Merle's gon take care of ya. Don't worry," he told her.

"I'm not worried as long as we're together. I will miss our little house, though," she said as she leaned against his shoulder.

He told her not to worry but he was doing enough of it for both of them. He had no idea where they could go that would be safe enough. He didn't want to take her to some back to some dark, dank place like that storeroom where they met. The baby would be here in a couple of months if not sooner. He had to find someplace that she could have the baby where they'd both be safe. The only place he could think of was the prison.

He had decided after killing the governor that he'd never go back to the prison. He didn't want to deal with the shit from Officer Friendly or the little Asian guy. He was making a fresh start from that point forward and he had done that. He was a different man than he'd been before. Would they be able to see that he'd changed? He couldn't worry about that right now. He had to make sure Marty and the baby were safe. He'd deal with the rest.

Once they were a safe distance away from the herd, Merle pulled to a stop.

"What's up?" Marty asked.

"I know a place we can go," he told her. "My brother is there with a group. They don't care much for me but I don't think they'd turn away a pregnant woman. You could stay there until the baby comes. You'd be safe."

"You are not leaving me behind, Merle Dixon. I don't care where we go but we're gonna stay together. You said you'd be this baby's daddy and I'm holding you to that," she told him angrily.

"It's not like I want to leave you, darlin'. I just don't know if they'll let me stay. I told ya the history I got with them people. They don't like me much and I can't blame 'em. Daryl'll be on my side but I don't know about the rest. You gotta stay safe for our baby," he explained.

"We'll go talk to them, make them understand. You're not that man anymore Merle. If they don't want you there then they don't want me either," she told him.

He knew he wasn't going to win this debate with her so he just started driving. They could make the prison in a few hours if they didn't hit roadblocks of any kind. He just hoped Daryl and the others were still at the prison and that it was secure.

Marty fell asleep after a while. She did that a lot as the baby grew bigger. She seemed to be able to sleep any time she got still. It made him happy to watch her sleep so peacefully. He woke her as they turned into the drive leading up to the prison gate.

"Marty, we're here hon," he said as he gently shook her shoulder.

The gates had been heavily reinforced with logs and there were spikes extending out from the front. It looked like some castle moat out of an old King Arthur movie. There were people moving around inside the fence working in a large vegetable garden. There were also a few walkers clinging to the wire watching. The walkers turned and headed in the direction of the truck as he pulled to a stop next to the gate.

He opened the door and stepped out of the truck. "Hey, it's Merle, Merle Dixon. Y'all open up the gate. I need to talk to my brother." Then he quickly got back into the cab and closed the door so he wouldn't become a snack for the walkers.

There was movement behind the fence. He saw Rick and his son peering through the chain link and then Daryl came running down towards the gate. He pulled on a rope and the gate began to open outward. Merle had to pull the truck back to stay away from the spikes before driving inside. Daryl quickly closed the gate behind him.

Merle got out of the truck and walked over to greet his brother. They did a sort of half hug and slapped each other on the back. "What the hell, bro?" Daryl asked, "Where you been, man? We thought maybe you was dead or something the way you just disappeared."

"Yeah, you know I ain't much on goodbyes and I'm too damn mean to die," he said with a chuckle.

About that time, Rick and Carl walked up. Rick looked at the new arrival with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Well, as I live and breathe, it's Merle Damn Dixon," he said.

"Yep, it's me and," he motioned towards the truck, "this is my, uh, my wife, Marty."

The jaws of all three guys in front of him simultaneously dropped at the word wife. He glanced back in to see what Marty's reaction was but she just smiled at him.

"Come on out, darlin', so these folks can meet you proper," he instructed. She slid across the seat and stepped out beside Merle. At the sight of her largely pregnant belly, jaws dropped even further.

Finally Rick pulled off his work glove and stepped forward extending a hand. "Excuse our manners, ma'am. I'm Rick Grimes and this is my son, Carl. Pleased to meet ya."

Marty shook his hand and said, "Likewise, I'm sure." She looked to Daryl who was still dumbstruck by his brother's announcement. "And you must be Merle's brother, Daryl. I see the family resemblance. I've heard a lot about you."

Daryl came out of his catatonia upon hearing his name. "Yeah, that's me," he muttered.

"Another man of few words," she said giving Merle a sideways glance.

The commotion outside had drawn the rest of the prison group to the gate. Glen, Maggie, Beth, Hershel, Axel and Carol had all gathered further up the drive. Rick glanced back at them and then to Merle. "I guess y'all might as well come on in. Everybody's gonna want to meet Marty and hear what happened with the governor," he told them.


	7. Chapter 7

Carol, Maggie, Glen, Beth, Hershel and Axel were all waiting outside as Merle and Marty walked up the drive with Rick. Maggie and Glen were none too happy to see the new arrival. Glen just turned and started walking without even saying a word. He stopped a few feet away when he heard Merle introduce the woman behind him as his wife. He turned around and gawked in awe along with the rest of the group.

Hershel was the first to step forward and offer his congratulations to the couple and to introduce himself to Marty. Carol immediately followed him. Merle was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. This was all just too much for him, all these people, all this polite bullshit. He told them Marty was his wife thinking they might be more inclined to let him stay with her. He hadn't put much thought into it beforehand. Now, he was realizing what he'd just done and he was beginning to feel as if he were being choked. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and plastered on a smile praying he could make it through all the jibber jabber without hurling.

Finally they all walked inside and Merle stayed near the door while Marty was escorted over to the table and offered something to drink. Daryl stayed back and stood beside him.

"Your wife, huh?" Daryl asked.

"Yep, you got a problem with that?" Merle countered.

"Nah, man. Just kinda surprised is all. Never figured you as the husband and father type," Daryl answered.

"Guess I never figured it either, brother, til I met her. Things are different now. I'm different," Merle revealed.

"Must be," Daryl said. "Never figured you'd risk your life to help us out neither. We know what happened with the governor. The folks at Woodbury got a new leader and he's made a sorta peace treaty with us. They ain't a threat no more. That's cause of what you done."

"I hated that bastard. Woulda took him out anyway but if it helped y'all out so be it," he offered.

Before they could continue talking Rick motioned him over to the table where he took a seat next to Marty.

"So, Merle. Why don't you tell us what happened after you let Michonne out of the car? What happened with the governor? Where you been for the last six months?" Rick asked.

Merle could feel the heat rising up his neck. He didn't like the prick anyway for chaining him to that rooftop. Now, here he sat throwing questions around like Merle was a suspect or something. Hell, didn't the man realize that he'd probably saved their lives?

He was about to go off on the guy when he felt Marty's hand close over his. That one cool, gentle touch brought him back. He focused on the group around him and tried to come up with an answer. Explaining why he'd killed the governor wasn't an easy task. He still wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him all of sudden. He knew that he'd done it to protect his brother and the people his brother cared about. He'd done right by him for once.

"I, uh, well y'all know I was gonna take Michonne to him. I thought that was the way to stop him. But then I realized nothin' was gonna stop him 'cept a bullet. I was tired of dealing with the asshole and his god complex, figured I'd solve my problem and help y'all out at the same time. After it was over, I just left, walked away. I wasn't welcome here or Woodbury, thought I'd find a new group. Instead, I found this little lady and the rest is history I reckon," Merle told them.

"And why have you come back now?" Rick asked.

Why did the very sound of that man's voice cause his hackles to rise. He wanted to tell the guy to go to hell and walk away but he had Marty and the baby to think of. He was trying to unclench his jaw before speaking when Marty interjected.

"I can answer that," she said, "We need a place to stay for a while, until the baby comes at least. Merle says it's safe here. We were hoping that you'd let us stay."

Merle watched as they all exchanged glances. It was the same damned thing all over again. They'd all treated him like some leper when he was here before. They weren't going to be willing to give him a chance.

"We, ah, well, we're gonna have to discuss that before I can give you an answer. Merle has a bit of bad history with some members of this group. I just don't know if we can trust him," Rick said, looking at Marty sympathetically.

"I know his history," she admitted. "Merle told me about what happened in Woodbury. I know he treated some of your group very badly. He's a different man now. He saved my life and protected me. He saved y'all, too, when he killed that madman. He's got a good heart. I think that if you give us a chance you'll see it for yourself."

"We ain't gon beg," Merle quickly added. "If you don't want us here, say the word. If we stay, I'll do whatever I can to provide for and protect the group."

Daryl was standing to the side with a perplexed look on his face. Rick turned to him and some unspoken communication took place.

"Give us until tomorrow to make a decision," Rick answered. "We appreciate what you did, Merle. The governor would have tried to take this prison. He would have tried to kill us all. But you are still responsible for nearly killing Glen and for what happened to Maggie. You took them to the governor. It's not somethin' we can just forget."

"I know that," Merle admitted.

"Well," Rick said, "We've all got work to do so we better get to it. It gets dark early these days. Daryl's on watch in the tower if you want to join him and I'm sure the ladies can find somethin' for Marty to occupy herself. We'll talk more tonight."

Michonne, Glen and Maggie were headed out on a supply run. As they walked out, Michonne stopped to give Rick a kiss and whisper a few words before leaving. Merle couldn't believe his eyes. Why would a woman like that be interested in that little chicken shit Officer Friendly? Course there weren't a lot of options now, especially at this prison. She had an old man and some weird wormy lookin' guy with a handle bar mustache to choose from if she didn't take Rick. Glen was with Maggie and even though Daryl didn't want to admit it, he only had eyes for Carol. He figured Rick was just the best of the bad options if she wanted somebody warming her bed at night.

Merle stood up and asked Marty if she'd be alright before following Daryl up into the guard tower. They stood across from each other looking out at the fences and surrounding fields. There were a few walkers scattered in different spots around the fence. The skinny guy with the mustache was walking around with a pointed stick taking them down one by one. Otherwise everything was pretty quiet.

Merle knew Daryl was itching to ask more questions but he wasn't going to make it easy for him. He'd had enough damn conversating for one day. After a while, though, Daryl gave in and asked.

"Hey, man, you ain't been gone but six months at the most. Marty's what? Seven, eight months pregnant?" Daryl asked.

"You gotta point or just jawin' for the hell of it?" Merle snapped.

"I was just wonderin' is all," Daryl said. "How'd you meet her? Who's the baby's daddy?"

"I'm the baby's daddy," Merle told him bluntly. "I met her in the back room of a store in the ass end of nowhere. She was hurt. I helped her out."

"She said you saved her life, man," Daryl continued, "there's gotta be more to the story than that."

"What her story is, well that's hers to tell. I did what I could to help her. That's all it was at first, but she's different. I didn't mean to fall for her but I did. It's like you and Carol," Merle told him.

"Pffft, they ain't nothin' like that goin' on with me and Carol," Daryl replied.

"Well, maybe there oughta be," Merle told him. "Believe me son, a good woman can do powerful things to a man. I think Carol's a good woman and I know she cares a helluva lot about you. I ever tell you what happened tween me and her when I was staying here the first time?"

"No, what happened?" Daryl asked, looking a bit angry.

"Naw, not like that," Merle chuckled. "She brought me a plate one day and sat down like she was gonna talk for a bit. She told me that if I caused problems for you, she'd sneak in while I was asleep and slit my throat. She wasn't lying neither. If that ain't love, my man, I don't know what is."

Daryl ducked his head to hide a grin. "She said that?" he asked.

"She did. I swear. And do you think I ain't noticed how you always lookin' at her and makin' sure she's okay. I know it's more than just protectin' the group when it comes to her. You got a soft spot for that little lady. Go on, admit it," Merle teased his brother.

"I mean, yeah, I care about her. She's had a tough life with that bastard of a husband who beat her and then she lost her little girl. I don't want to see her get hurt again," Daryl told him.

"And that's all. You don't have any lovey dovey feelings at all? You wouldn't care say if she and that little Axel fella started gettin' chummy?" Merle asked.

"Naw, man. That ain't gon happen. I don't care, but that ain't gon happen," Daryl told him.

"You sure? Cause they lookin' a little chummy already to me," Merle said as he pointed to where Carol and Axel were standing laughing and talking down near the fence.

Merle could see the anger flash across Daryl's face. "That don't bother you a bit, does it?" Merle asked.

"That…that don't mean nothin'. She's just bein' friendly. That's all," Daryl answered while never taking his eyes off the couple standing near the fence.

"If you say so," Merle quipped. "I gotta say though that if I wasn't with Marty, I might make a play for her. Axel's a fool if he don't. Ain't like there's a lotta chances to find somebody anymore."

"Just shut the hell up, Merle," Daryl snapped. "You don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about."

"Okay, man, okay," Merle responded, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Don't gotta get your panties in a bunch."

"Just mind your business and get back to guard duty," Daryl instructed.

Merle turned towards the window and glanced back across the field. He smiled thinking to himself that he'd gotten under Daryl's skin. Maybe now the boy would wake up and go after Carol like he should have done a long time ago.


	8. Chapter 8

By dusk, everyone was tired. Carol and Beth had prepared a meal with some help from Marty. When everyone sat down to eat, Merle noticed that his baby brother made sure to get a seat next to Carol. Daryl was on her right and Axel on her left. Merle had to look down and cover his mouth to hide a smile. This could turn out to be fun.

After they ate, Merle and Marty went to the cell they'd been assigned. He lay down on the bunk and she snuggled in next to his side. There was barely enough room for the two of them but it didn't matter. He couldn't sleep now unless he was next to her. She talked to him for a few minutes but it didn't take long for her to fall fast asleep. The growing baby made her more tired than usual. Despite his effort to stay awake, he was soon dozing beside her.

Daryl walked by their cell and stopped for a minute. Rick came up behind him on his way to meet with the rest of the group about Merle staying at the prison.

"What is it?" Rick whispered to Daryl.

"Just don't think I've ever seen my brother sleep like that lessen he was passed out," Daryl answered.

"Do you think he's really changed?" Rick asked quietly.

Daryl nodded. "He's changed. I know my brother or I did know him. She's changed him," he said as he pointed toward Marty.

They looked at each other and walked on to the room where everyone was gathered to discuss their newest arrival. Judith was asleep but everyone else was present.

Rick stepped to the front of the group. "I know we're all tired so I'll make this quick. I want to know what y'all think about Merle and Marty stayin' here with us. Then we'll take a vote."

Glen stood up first. "I don't like it. I don't trust him. We know what he's capable of. Sure, he helped us out by killing the governor but we don't know what he's up to now." He looked to Maggie who nodded in agreement.

Hershel looked around at the rest of the group before speaking, "I hate to side against Maggie and Glen but I think he could be an asset. He killed the man who was our enemy. He's a skilled hunter and fighter. He's loyal to his brother and seems to care deeply for Marty. He's capable of good if we give him a chance. I think we should let him stay at least for a while. See what happens."

Carol told them that she was in agreement with Hershel. She looked to Daryl and asked, "What do you think, Daryl? He's your brother. You know him better than anyone."

Daryl was never comfortable speaking. He rubbed his chin as if in thought. "Merle seems different to me. He's calmer, more even. I don't know if it's Marty or maybe he's stayed clean long enough to clear his head. I think we should give him a chance, at least until the baby comes."

"Well," Rick said, "Unless somebody else has anything to say, I guess we should vote. Let's see hands for anyone who thinks he should leave?"

Glen and Maggie both raised their hands. Glen looked to Daryl and said, "Sorry, man."

Daryl just grunted, '"Salright brother."

"Okay, then all those in favor of a let's say 3 month probationary period?" Rick asked.

Rick raised his hand along with Hershel, Beth, Carl, Axel, Carol, Michonne and Daryl.

"Well, I guess he's staying for a while, then," Rick told them. "I'll tell him in the morning. Thanks everybody. I think I'm gonna head to bed now. Judy'll be up at the crack of dawn." Michonne stood up and followed him out.

Rick lay awake a long time after he and Michonne got in bed. She lay spooned against him. Their relationship was still new. He fell for her after watching the way she was with Carl and Judith. She was a strong woman, tough as they come but she had a soft side that she didn't show to the rest of the world. He found her contradictions fascinating.

Tonight, though, it wasn't Michonne that he was thinking about as he lay there. He was worried about what Merle Dixon's presence was going to do to his family. Merle was unpredictable at best and could easily be downright destructive. If he proved to be a distraction or a troublemaker, Rick was going to have to send him packing along with his very pregnant 'wife'.

The woman was another issue. What if things didn't go well when she delivered the baby? If anything happened to Marty or the baby, Merle was bound to go off and not just on a trip to crazy town as Rick himself had done. No, Merle would want to make someone pay. Hershel or Carol might end up in his line of fire. It was going to be an interesting few months learning to deal with the man. He hoped he was up for it.

His racing thoughts and twitching about eventually woke Michonne. "What's got you all in knots tonight, cowboy?" she asked him sleepily.

"Just too much thinkin'. Worryin' about Merle, about everythin' as usual," he said as he looked down into her sleepy face.

"You know I have an old remedy for sleeplessness. Did I ever tell you about it?" she asked as she sat up and pulled her t-shirt over her head. "Maybe we should try it and see if it helps you relax," she continued as her fingers slowly undid the button on his jeans.

"I think it might be worth a try," he said with a sly smile as he slid his hands along her naked waist. After a few minutes, he forgot all about Merle Dixon. As it turned out, Michonne's remedy worked like a charm.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Rick gave Daryl the task of talking to Merle. He figured Merle would be more apt to listen to his brother. Daryl waited until he and Merle were out hunting before he brought up the probationary period.

"Merle, hold up," Daryl said as they trudged through the trees crunching last Fall's leaves underfoot.

"You tired already little brother? You really have softened up, ain't ya?" Merle asked.

"Nah, just wanted to tell ya bout the meetin' we had last night," Daryl replied. "Most everybody wants you and Marty to stay. Thing is, they ain't sure they can trust ya yet. We decided to give it three months, see how everythin' goes. Marty'll have the baby by then. If things go smooth, y'all can both stay. If there's trouble, well, it may not work out."

Merle laughed to himself as he stared off into the green branches over his head. "Ain't that always the way? I still ain't good enough for your 'perfect' little group, am I? Don't matter that I killed the wolf at y'all's door. So, what? I gotta be on my best behavior? Mind my p's and q's and then I get a reprieve from Officer Friendly and get to stay here where I can keep my family safe? Is that how this little l scenario works?" Merle asked angrily.

"Come on, man," Daryl warned, "It ain't like that. You gave everybody reasons not to trust you, me included. They just all need to know you're on our side now. That's all. You need to calm down. Think about Marty and the baby. You gotta learn to fit in for once, man. It's not that you gotta knuckle under to anybody. You just can't go stirring up trouble all the time like you done before."

"Sounds like I'm bein' judged is what it sounds like. You can call it what you want. I'll do what I have to for Marty but Saint Rick needs to stay outta my face. You tell him that. None of what happened at Woodbury woulda gone down if he hadn't left me chained to a roof like a mad dog and the only option was to saw through my own arm. You just remember that little brother. His hands ain't clean and neither are yours," Merle said before striding off through the brush.

Daryl stood and watched. He wanted to yell that they'd gone back for him but he knew it wouldn't make a difference. He knew where Merle's anger was coming from. They'd both learned to show anger and act tough from an early age. It was easier to be angry and throw punches than it was to let yourself feel ashamed and hurt. Part of what Merle was saying was the truth, though. Rick and the others were gonna be watching him, judging him and none of them were untarnished in this world.

Merle's biggest crime was being an outsider. If the things he'd done had been for this group, there wouldn't have been much more than an eyebrow raised, but his dirty deeds had been done in the governor's name. Beating Glenn was worse than beating Randall back at the farm because Glenn was one of them. They all just had to learn that they could trust him and everything would be fine.

Merle was steaming as he walked away from his brother. He had to get some distance or he might have thrown a punch. Right now, he had to think about Marty and the baby. They needed the safety of this place and he needed them. He could learn to stomach their "probationary period" for his family's sake.

After a couple of hours, he'd bagged ten squirrels and a couple of rabbits. He also managed to shake off some of the anger. He headed back to the prison and met up with Daryl in the woods near the fence.

"You alright?" Daryl asked without breaking stride. He had a bunch of squirrels as well.

"Yep," Merle answered. "Gotta be."

Daryl just looked at him and nodded. One thing for sure was the Dixon boys understood each other.

Marty and Carol were out doing laundry as they walked up to the gate. She stood and waved as she saw them approaching. He could see her smile from all the way up the drive. He lifted his string of squirrels and waved them in triumph as she clapped her hands with excitement.

As he walked up the drive, she ran to hug him. "My mighty hunter returns," she told him after a big kiss.

"Careful, darlin'," he told her, stepping back. "I'm covered in dirt and squirrel blood. I'm filthy."

"If you think that's gonna stop me, you don't know me very well, Mr. Dixon," she teased as she leaned her head in close to his. "Besides," she whispered, "I kinda like it when you're filthy if you know what I mean."

If anyone had told him before Marty that a woman eight months' pregnant could be sexy as hell, he'd have laughed his ass off. Now, all he could do was thank his lucky stars and hug her tight while kissing the daylights out of her.

He handed the squirrels off to Daryl and Rick's boy and walked off hand in hand with Marty who had offered to 'give him the sponge life of his life.' The bath sounded mighty fine but he needed to talk to her as well, tell her about the probationary period. She needed to know what they were up against or more accurately what he was up against.

He carried a bucket of water to their cell and they went in and drew the curtain. "Okay, take 'em off," she instructed. "I don't want to sleep with someone covered in ticks and red bugs," she told him.

He pulled off his t-shirt and dropped his jeans. Both were almost beyond washing. She had a clean pair of dungarees and a shirt laid out for him. As she began washing his face and neck, he took her hands.  
"I need to talk to ya," he told her, "Sit down with me."

"Sounds serious," she replied as she sat down on the cot facing him.

"They've decided to let us stay for at least the next few months on a sort of trial basis," Merle told her.

She looked pleased at first but then a scowl crossed her face. "Wait, so they're gonna be judging you to see if you can behave or something?" she asked angrily. "They don't have a right to do that, Merle. You're better than that."

He smiled at her defense of him. "Yeah, well not in their estimation. Like I said, I done some things that I regret. They don't feel like they can trust me."

"Well, let's just go. We can find a place. We don't need them. I won't let them treat you like you're not as good as the rest of them," she told him.

"No, darlin'," he said firmly as he placed his hand on her belly. "We got this little one to think about. You could pop anytime now. I can handle whatever this bunch wants to throw at me. Maybe I can prove to 'em how much I've changed. You gotta help me though. I can't do this without you. Sometimes you may need to hang on real tight."

"Wasn't planning on lettin' go anytime soon, anyway," she told him. "Now let's get you cleaned up and go show those motherfuckers what a real man looks like."

When Merle was washed and dressed, they walked out to where Carol was grilling some of the squirrel meat. Beth was standing nearby holding Judith. Marty asked if she could do anything to help with dinner but Carol said she had it under control. Beth, on the other hand, asked if Marty could hold Judith for a bit. Hershel needed some help with something. She handed the squirming baby off.

Marty had been dying to hold the little girl ever since she'd first laid eyes on her. Her belly got in the way of having a lap for the baby to sit on so she sat her on top of the picnic table right in front of her and began playing peekaboo. Judith loved it and was soon giggling. Merle was just watching and smiling.

The smell of the sizzling meat on the grill began drawing people in for dinner. Rick and Carl came up from the garden and washed their hands and faces at the rain barrel near the shed. Judith began saying "Da, da, da" as soon as she saw them and started reaching for Rick when he walked up. He picked her up and kissed her forehead.

"Evening, Marty, Merle. Somethin' smells awful good, Carol," he said to the assembled group.

Daryl walked down from the guard tower to get a plate for himself and Michonne. Merle offered to spell him after dinner and Daryl nodded.

Beth and Hershel walked up with Glen and Maggie. Hershel sat down next to Rick with Beth behind him. Glen and Maggie took the second table, avoiding even looking at Merle. Axel sat down and told Carol he was reserving her a seat next to him. Merle figured he'd better mention that to Daryl.

As they ate, they all talked and laughed about the day. In this kind of setting it was easy to forget about what lay beyond the fences. After dinner, Merle walked over to the guard tower. He told MIchonne he'd take over for her and she happily left to go and spend time with Rick, Carl and Judith.

"Little brother, we need to discuss your woman," Merle told him.

"I ain't got no woman," Daryl insisted. "I told you that already."

"Well, little mousey is being chased by that old tomcat Axel. If you don't watch out, they're gonna be cozying up one of these nights and you'll be SOL," Merle warned him.

"I ain't got no claim on her, Merle," Daryl said. "If she wants Axel, what the hell can I do about that?"

"Are you blind, boy?" Merle asked incredulously. "That woman's had the hots for you for as long as I've known her. If she gets involved with Mr. Mustache it's because you won't do more than nod and grunt around her. You gotta get some balls where she's concerned, son. Don't be stupid and let her get away."

"Man, I don't ….I mean, what the hell do I know about women and romance? It just ain't me," Daryl confessed.

"Come on, boy. I know you've had women before. Hell, I paid for a few of 'em. It ain't all that different," Merle told him. "You just gotta be a little sweeter, do nice things once in a while, make 'em happy. I can help ya out if ya want, be your, what do you call that guy with the big nose, Ciroc somethin'?"

"Cyrano," Daryl corrected.

"Yeah? Well, ain't you the literary genius?" Merle huffed.

"It's from high school English, man," Daryl replied. "You'd know that if you'd ever bothered to show up for classes."

"I'm offering to show up and teach you a few tricks right now. What do ya say? We gonna 'Cyrano' little mousey and get you some or what?" Merle asked.

"I'm in, I guess," Daryl said, "but I ain't doin' no embarrassing shit."


End file.
